Modern Art Revisited 3
My first band was called Modern Art. As you can see in the above flyer, we were very serious about being a band. First off, we had a look - berets. Yep. We all wore berets. You know, the kind of hats that Claude Monet used to wear. I guess if we had really wanted to sell the idea we would have also worn smocks. But smocks aren't as cool as berets. Also, if you take another look at our flyer you will see that we knew EXACTLY what to do when posing for a professional band picture (i.e. have everyone look in a different direction). I'm sad to say that this is the only flyer I have left from those halycon days when me and my band mates would stand in a group, put our hands in our pockets, and stare in different directions. Yes. Those were the days.
Conceptually I'd say Modern Art was a new wave band though at the time we thought we were punk. Somehow we'd heard the term "punk" and we knew it was cool. The bands we admired were U2 and The Police. We thought those bands were punk. A year after this picture was taken, I purchased "Never Mind the Bollocks" and realized how un-punk they/we were.
It's fun to think back on those early, floundering days of being a band. Not only were we all trying to figure out how to play our individual instruments but we were also trying to figure out how to play our instruments together as a group. At one rehearsal I remember us working out the particular sections to a certain song. I decided that the drummer (pictured center in the plaid jacket) and me (far right) should come up with some visual cues for playing certain parts. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: When I nod my head once, hit your ride cymbal.
Drummer: Ok.
Me: And when I nod my head twice, hit your crash cymbal.
Drummer: Ok.
Me: Ready?
Drummer: Almost. I've got one question.
Me: Yeah?
Drummer: What head-moves are you going to make when I need to hit the hi hats?
Good question. I am surprised that I'm still not suffering from whiplash.
What reminds me of all this is a viral piece we created recently for OKGazette.com. Brian Winkeler approached us about creating a piece of music that could be "sloppy and garage-y and fun." He wanted something punk-ish and also something juvenile to accompany a puerile video featuring various shots of people getting "racked." Yeah! I know. How great is that for an assignment! Obviously we were totally excited. Plus, he didn't need a song as much as he needed riffs. Sloppy, choppy, I'm-just-learning-how-to-play-my-instrument type riffs. So we assembled the troops, mic-ed up the drums, and cranked our amps up to 11. Total fun! Basically the session became method acting with instruments. We picked a key (A) and played the most bone-headed riff in the book. It was all about channeling that "my first band" experience. For me, it was Modern Art Revisited, except that Modern Art sounded much much more accomplished than this:
Oklahoma Gazette RACK!!
GPS Radio
Our recent work for CJRW and the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office features the voice of a GPS unit that starts giving it's driver a little bit more than simple driving directions. This spot stars Kelly Klemonlin as the voice of the GPS, Tracy Thibodeaux as the announcer, and the sounds of a Garmin GPS.
Listen to GPS :30 (Garmin version)
A previous version of the spot, mentioned here and here, was mixed with the sounds of a Magellan GPS unit.
Listen to GPS :30 (Magellan version)
The Kids Are Alright 1
Our buddy Henry, the creative super-genius at Bumpercar Advertising, had a pretty swell idea for radio recently. The idea? Let's create a radio ad with a bunch of kids and without scripts. To which we said, "What the! How we gonna. . !" The answer: interviews. Let's record reactions to a subject near and dear to just about every kid's heart - the Zoo!
So we got a bunch of kids together and asked them some questions about the zoo. Questions like: What's your favorite animal? What's the scariest animal? What sound does that animal make?
The other brilliant idea Henry had was to record these interviews in pairs. Not only would we get the kids reactions to our questions but we'd also get their reactions to each other's answers. And hopefully there'd be some funny, sibling-rivalry type stuff caught on tape.
The results were pretty awesome if we must say so ourselves. And, of course, we ended up with much more good material than we knew what to do with. So as well as posting the :60 and :30 versions that are currently on the air in Nashville, we also thought we'd post the 3 minute version that Henry used in his presentation to the client.
Without further ado, here's our recent work for Bumpercar Advertising and the Nashville Zoo.
Presentation Piece 03:19
Radio :60
Radio :30
The Soderberghicon Rides Again 2
In the first chapter of the Soderberghicon story, we told you how our auspicious icon came into being. The thing we failed to emphasize in that brief narrative was the fact that we are big Soderbergh fans. Not only did we create the Soderberghicon because we think Scott looks like Steven Soderbergh, we created it because we think highly of Soderberg, the director. We are fans (not including Solaris) and so we consider his visage in a meritorious light here at the Lucky Dog blog. Therefore, anytime something we have created gets an award, we mark the corresponding blog entry with our Soderberghicon after which follows much rejoicing.
Enough said. Now lets move on to the awards.
Yes. It's ADDY time again, and this year we are extremely happy to mention that several spots produced here at Lucky Dog Audio Post brought honor and prestige to our clients. Whoo hoo!
First off, two spots we produced for Third Degree Advertising won judges awards in this year's Oklahoma City Advertising Club awards ceremony. As writer/broadcast producer/creative whizzagoth Brian Winkeler reports, the Funds for Learning on hold message he produced with us last year won the Fontana Comedy Award. Brian went on to say that "from what we hear, it was the only unanimous Judges Award amongst a contentious group." Also the "Think it Up - 2007 Addy Awards" trailer we helped create won the Judges Citation of Merit or, as Brian put it, the "aka "we couldn't give this the Best Of Show so we're creating a special category" award. Sweet!
Turning to the east, Justin Dobbs of Red Deluxe fame and fortune won big at this year's Memphis Advertising Federation awards. In his customarily effusive and overly ebullient manner Justin reported that he won the "Jan Gardner memorial award for outstanding radio copy or something" as well as "3-4 other awards in broadcast and in local-only copywriting." We will proudly Soderberghicon his spot "The Reporter" for him while playing his favorite song here at the studio, the Aphex Triplets remix of "God Rest Ye Eskimo Knife Boundaries."
What are you doin there, fishin? 1
Earl: They got any more?
Lester: Any more what?
Earl: Any more work.
Lester: Yup.
Earl: . . .
Lester: . . .
Earl: Where?
Lester: Right over there in their recent work.
Credits:
Agency: Red Deluxe
Animation: Storyville Post
Art Director/Illustrator: Kim Gurley
Writer: Justin Dobbs
Banjos and Sushi
OK. Yes. I know. The photo is blurry. BUT that's an action shot, ladies and gentlemen. Banjo action! Check it out:
This new spot we recorded for Love Communications and utahquitnet.com features a mashup we created of some good ole' banjo music and a Taiko drum track. We booked banjo player John Schallhorn into the studio to fingerpick the main melody that gets this spot rolling. After that, we asked voice over artist Hames Ware to do his best Festus imitation. Then, all that was left to complete this production was the serious announcer graphs, which were read with just the right amount of contrasting gravity by the lovely and talented Libby Strawn. The only thing we forgot to do was eat sushi after the session for dinner.
SeedWork
As of January 2008, Lucky Dog Audio Post has taken over distribution of SeedWork's Kanuga Summer Lecture series. Currently 43 lectures are available either on individual CD or for free download from Big Contact and iTunes!
Those interested in ordering CDs can do so by emailing charles@luckydogaudio.com. Price List:
Cds are $13 per individual cd. Sets of five cds or more are $5 per cd, plus a $5 handling fee per set. All charges are exclusive of shipping.
In addition to the Big Contact page, the SeedWork lectures can also be found at archive.org where each lecture has been assigned it's own webpage.
Lectures currently available are as follows (all links to archive.org host pages).
2003 Kanuga Summer Dream Conference:
2004 Kanuga Summer Dream Conference:
2005 Kanuga Summer Dream Conference:
Why Dreams? Why Us? Why Now?: Exploring the Popularity of the "Da Vinci Code"
Masculine and Feminine Split in the Garden, Healed by Christ
2006 Kanuga Summer Dream Conference:
2007 Kanuga Summer Dream Conference:
Duplicating the Localist
This week we've been tackling a duplication job for the Localist. We're turning out a limited edition run of 300 cds for this weekend's Localist Dance Party (see below). The cd's look terrific, thanks to the design work of Paul Delostritto. We are printing the above cover art on the face of the cds themselves and then packaging the cd with an insert in clear polypropylene envelopes. The 22 track cd features contributions from a wide variety of local bands, MCs, and songwriters. All in all, it makes a cool giveaway for the event.
Final product looks like this:
STEPS To A Healthier New Orleans 1
I've been reading the Omnivore's Dilemna recently which is giving me all sorts of fits about what I should and shouldn't be eating. I think Scott is getting especially tired of all the "corn" talk I've been dishing out lately but what can I say? I've got high fructose corn syrup on the brain (and stomach).
As author Michael Pollan points out, there is no easy solution to America's eating problem. We, as American consumers, are living within a food system that practically forces junk food into our mouths. All the more reason why consciousness raising efforts, like Pollan's book, are important.
With that in mind, check out these two :60 TV PSA's we helped put together for Zehnder Communications to promote STEPS To A Healthier New Orleans. The on-camera performances feature the original words of Sunni and Aja, two impressive spoken word artists living and working in the city of New Orleans.
This just in, Zehnder Communications was awarded the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Mosaic Award for their work on the Steps to a Healthier New Orleans (Steps) television and radio campaign at the Ad Club of New Orleans’ ADDY Awards on March 28. For more info, click here.
UPDATE - more awards for STEP announced in July 2008!
KoogaPet Radio
What happens when you pair a dog lovin' production house (us) with a dog lovin' creative house (Dave, Inc.)? Radio ad magic, of course. Especially when the client is the manufacturer of the coolest pet gadget of all time. Check out KoogaTag, a pet tag that stores your pet's vet's info in a waterproof usb drive. That's right, you attach the KoogaTag to your pet's collar and if your Fido or Fifi ever gets lost, then their vet stats are only a usb port away. Woof!
Listen to KoogaPet Radio
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